Never
by K. A Zerlang
Summary: Draco Malfoy is falling for the one person he never thought he would.  T for safety, though its tame


Never

Authors Note: Hey there readers Well, I thought I should warn you…this is my first attempt at a Dramione fic. I'll start out easy, just a one-shot =p Let me know what you think by pressing that lovely review button, you know you want too!

Never

He was back. He never expected to walk through these halls again, after…after what happened. Yet here he stood, gazing around the near empty halls, thoughts swirling in his head. His mother had made him come back. She was always looking out for him, always trying to protect him. She had said an education would help him get ahead in life, now that he had to rely on himself, and couldn't coast along on the prestige of a name. The name Malfoy would no longer protect him, he was on his own now. He shook his head as if ridding it of an irksome thought. Standing around looking at the hallowed halls around him, he began to notice a sound. A slight rumbling at first, growing louder ever passing second. The students were coming. He ducked behind a pillar to avoid the curious and accusatory eyes of the hundreds of new and returning students. He couldn't blame them for being curious, he couldn't even blame them for their anger, yet he still sought to avoid it and keep the small shreds of dignity he still had. The rumbling grew louder and suddenly all around him were the voices of students happily making their way down to the great hall for dinner. He waited patiently for them to pass then slipped out, making his way up the stair towards his common room, his safe haven. Up the stairs he went, climbing and reveling in the fact that he no longer had trudge into the dungeons everyday, no longer had to endure the daily life of a communal common room. No, as Head Boy (surprising as it is, McGonagall had taken into account his change of heart and had given him a chance at redemption) he was forced to share his space with only one other person:

Hermione Granger.

On hearing this news at the beginning of the year, he almost refused the post. But his parents, eager to patch their family's reputation, made him accept. How could he give up such an opportunity? They had asked. He stayed quite, imagining a year of enduring long nights in the common room, listening to Miss Know-It-All reciting facts and figures and being bossed around by a no good, dirty mudblood.

Upon his arrival at school, he made his way to the common room reluctantly, no wanting to face his new roommate. But when he got there, he found the shared living space blissfully empty. She wasn't there; no doubt she was off shepherding first years and exerting her newfound power. He slipped into his bedroom and shut the door, planning on being there for most of the year, avoiding Granger as much as possible.

But avoiding her was harder than he anticipated. While he was shunned in the halls, she was exalted. Everyone thought she was some type of bloody hero or something. It made his blood boil that he, Draco Malfoy, pureblood, Head Boy, and self proclaimed Slytherin Sex God, should be shunted aside in favor a bushy haired twit like Granger. He had taken to watching her in the halls and in class, taking in everything he could. Maybe she had something that he didn't. But that was stupid. What could that mudblood have that he didn't? Nothing he assured himself, nothing at all.

The more he watched her, the more he noticed. She had grown over the years, forced to become a mature adult before her time. Even Malfoy couldn't deny that she was beautiful. Once a frizzy haired book worm, she was now tall, graceful, and drop dead gorgeous. More than once he caught himself gazing at her in class or while they were studying in the common room and he had to shake himself and remember that she was off limits. A Gryffindor, he told himself. A mudblood Gryffindor at that! Were his standards really falling that low? He would never go for her, he couldn't.

He had come to the common room, hidden behind a portrait of two jolly looking friars. He gave them the password and clambered through the portrait hole, swinging his bag over his shoulder as he went. He rounded the corner and noticed right away that a merry fire was crackling in the grate. He tossed his bag next to the table in the middle of the room and collapsed onto one of the plush black couches.

"Ouch!" two voices rang out at once, startling both people to who said voices belonged to. Malfoy leapt up, rubbing his (rather gorgeous) backside, while Hermione Granger, protectively clutched a book to her chest.

"Excuse me, but just what do you think you're doing?" she asked him, giving him a cool glare.

"Me? You're asking me what I'm doing? I'm trying to bloody relax, that's what I'm doing." He said, his voice strained. She gave him a look full of daggers.

"Well go relax somewhere else, I'm reading, in case you haven't noticed."

"You're always reading Granger." He said, a bit of the familiar Malfoy drawl back in his voice.

"Don't you ever have ANY fun?"

She looked rather miffed at that one.

"Of course I have fun. I just don't consider being a huge git as entertaining as you do."

He held his heart, acting shocked.

"I'm hurt Granger, I really am. How could you possibly consider me anything less than a perfect angel?"

She rolled her perfect honey colored eyes at him. Wait…not perfect. And they're brown. What was he thinking?

"Go away Malfoy." She said, turning back to her book. He stared at her a moment, as if hoping something would happen. But she steadfastly ignored him, leaning over the pages and concentrating hard on the ancient words in front of her. Sighing, he gave up. Picking up his back, he rummaged through it, searching for something, anything to keep him busy and distract him from looking at her. Finding his textbook for "A History of Magic", he threw himself down on the couch opposite her and began to read.

What felt like hours went by, and try as he might, Malfoy couldn't keep his mind from wandering. He kept dozing off, his mind happily wandering to what would happen if he just crossed that two foot gap, grabbed her hand and pulled her roughly too him, lowering his lips to hers and…WHOA THERE! With a start, he awoke from his daydream to find the book in his lap open to the chapter on Warlock conventions. He realized he was panting, and he took a steadying breath. No, nonononono. This could not be happening. He chanced a look over at his companion and found her still blissfully wrapped up in the pages of her own book. He needed to gather his thoughts. Glancing outside, he realized it was dark, night having fallen without either of the two noticing it. Perfect, he would walk. A walk would straighten him out. He stood suddenly, closing the book with a snap. Hermione looked up and stared at him as if seeing him for the first time.

"Draco, where…" she started, but he didn't give her a chance to get out the rest of her sentence.

"I'm going out, I'll do my rounds then I'm out for a walk." And with that, he swiftly exited the common room, leaving Hermione sitting on the couch, looking slightly dazed.

He strolled around the castle, making sure that students weren't out roaming the halls, before his made his way down to the great hall. He slipped quietly out onto the grounds, taking a deep breath of fresh air as he strolled through the courtyard. Yes, this was exactly what he needed. The night was still as he made his way down to the black lake. He stood for a moment on the shore, listening carefully. He thought he heard a creak far away, but within moments it was gone and he relaxed, telling himself it was just the wind. He strode to a tree standing by the bank and slid down, resting on the soft earth at the base. His thoughts turned to Hermione, and as much as he tried to turn them away, there they stayed. He thought about how beautiful he had become. Out here in the stillness of the night he let go of the fact that she was a mud…a muggleborn. She couldn't help it he thought. She really was the most wonderful witch he had ever met. As he thought back on his year with her, he realized that through everything, she had never once accused him of evil, or even brought up the war to him. When everyone else attacked him, she was the solitary calm, the one he sought when it was all too much. He thought of her warm brown eyes and her sleek, curly hair and a small smile graced his lips. Her beauty was more than just skin deep. But he still shouldn't be having these thoughts. She would never think of him as more than a bit of scum. He knew that.

The water rippled as a breeze blew through the trees, ruffling his blonde hair. Suddenly, a sound made him alert. His hand went to his wand and he stood, alert and anxious. He raised his wand and pointed it towards the shadows behind the tree, getting ready to utter a spell.

"Wait!" a voice rang out. A curiously familiar voice. The voice of Hermione Granger sounded odd and out of place coming from the tree, until she stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight. He lowered his wand, immediately, although suddenly he was angry, angry that his peace had been disturbed, even though it had been disturbed by the only person he wanted to see.

"Why were you following me Granger?" he demanded, stuffing his wand back into his pocket.

"I…I was nervous for you." She said. Her voice quavered more than she wanted it to and she cursed herself for sounding so weak. Malfoy looked at her with contempt.

"You were nervous? I'm a big boy Granger, I can handle myself." He spat. She tensed up and put a hand on her hip. He sucked in his breath as he took in the way her curves were highlighted in the moonlight.

"Fine. Sorry I even bothered. I'll just leave then." She said, her tone back to its usual bossy pitch. She turned and began to walk away when he caught her arm.

"Wait, I'm sorry. Stay for just a while." He said, and even he was surprised to hear the tenderness in his voice. She looked up at him, then to where his hand was resting on her arm and slowly nodded. He led her back the base of the tree where they sat together and looked out over the lake. For awhile, all was silent, the two teenager both lost in their own thoughts. Then the silence was broken.

"I'm sorry." Malfoy's voice was quite and Hermione had to look over at him to make sure he had really spoken. When she turned her face to his, she was shocked to see him gazing at her intently, not with malice like he usually did, but with something more, something tender. She shook her head.

"Sorry for what?" she asked him.

"Sorry for everything I've ever said to you. Sorry for betraying your side. I'm sorry for being nothing but cruel to you all these years. I just never saw how amazing you were until now." He said all in a rush. His pale face lit up pink as a blush tinged his cheeks. He looked away from her, fearing the revulsion he was sure to see in her eyes. But when he looked back, there was anything but revulsion. Hermione's eyes were bright, and smile was gracing her face.

"Draco Malfoy, there is nothing to apologize for, although it is nice to hear you admit you were cruel." She said mischievously.

"I was sure you knew by now that I forgive you. Of course I forgive you. In fact, I more than forgive your. I lo-" and here she stopped, for it was her turn to blush.

"I like you Draco." She went on, addressing her lap now. "I've liked you for a long time, ever since I realized you never meant any of it. I know why you did everything, and I forgive you." She said, and then she stopped, waiting for his reply. But no words came. Instead, she felt his hand graze the side of her face and pull her up to look into his eyes. There she saw that no words were necessary, they were in perfect understanding.

Gazing into her eyes, Draco knew that this was exactly where he was meant to be, if not for the rest of his life then for this moment at least. He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on each knuckle. Then he did something he never thought he would. He kissed Hermione Granger.

END


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